Vehicle-coupling attachment



C. L. B. DE SAUNIER.

VEHICLE COUPLING ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED mm. 23. 1920-.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

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d I P r T .9?) Fig. 3.

fb' c' Fig.5.

INVENTOR' CHHRLES Lou's Emurm :Snunnzg nrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES LOUIS BAUDRY DE SAUNIER, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

VEHICLE-COUPLING ATTACHMENT.

Application filed March 23, 1920.

To /13 whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GI-IARLns Louis BAU- nnY on SAUNIER. a citizen of the Republic of F ance, and a resident oi 108 Rue Lauriston, Paris, France, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Vehicle-Coupling Attachn'ients, oi which the following is a specification.

In the vehicle coupling-attachments now in use, one of the coupling elements usually consists in a kind of book, connected to the tractor vehicle by a suitable device, which may or not produce a cushioning effect, and the other coupling elements consists in a ring carried by the draw-bar oi the trailer vehicle, with which engages the hook of the tractor vehicle. The vehicle coupling-at tarhments of this kind-present the drawback that they do not permit a coupling without play, for the diameter of thering does not correspond exactly to the space between the arms of the hook; shocks are produced between the two elements of the coupling, by starting, stopping and by changes of level due to the road. It is very advantageous to use a device capable of suppressing these shocks and simultaneously allowing the cou pling and uncoupling to be done very rapidly, by means of very simple devices which do not require tools nor any detached member, which is easily lost.

The present invention concerns a vehicle coupling-attachment fulfilling these conditions; is characterized by the fact that one or" the coupling elements consists in. a ring or socket, suitably mounted on one of the veh and the other coupling element consists in a draw-bar portion, adapted to make a sliding it into said ring or socket and provided, near its end, with a shoulder forming stop, and, at its end, with a cotter or sliding key; this cotter is provided with a slot forming a slide inseparably engaging a pin upon which it can move, to assume a 'isition parallel or perpendicular to the oi the draw-bar, within slots formed in the extremity ot said draw-bar, in such a manner that, in the first position, the end 01' the draw-bar can be passed into the socket or ring while in the other position, all disconnection ot coupling elements is impos sible. i p

The annexed drawing shows, by way of example, one form of construction of the coupling device according to the present invention in the case in which the ring or Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

Serial No. 368,153.

socket carried by the tractor vehicle is mounted with a double link.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the cupling element for the trailer.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding end view.

Figs. 4.- and 5 are similar views to Fig. 1, the tilting cotter being in different positions.

Fig. 6 is an endview corresponding with Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is anelevation of the cardan-fitted ring intended to be fixed to rear of the tractor-vehicle.

Fig. 8-is the corresponding side view.

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the two elements assembledto form the coupling.

Fig. 10 is a detail view in sectional elevation.

.ln principle, the draw-bar of the vehicle to be hauled (Figs. 1 to 6) ends in a cylindrical tube (t slotted at 7) in a direction parallel to its axis and for a suiiicient distance. Another slot Z) diametrically opposite is also formed in the tube, this slot, however, not extending to the extremity of the tube 0; so that the part 0 closing the end of the slot affords a reinforcement to the tube. These slots 6, 7) form a guide for a cotter d the body portion of which is cut out to form a slide 6 which enables itto move upon a horizontal pin 7 fixed in the tube (4 upon a diameter at right angles to the plane of the cotter d. The last-named can assume the vertical position indicated in Fig. 1 or any intermediate position between that of Fig. 1 and that of Fig. 8, that is to say horizontal, so to form a prolongation of the draw-bar, of the'hauled vehicle and even take up a position in the interior of the tube, as shown in Fig.

The tube is also furnished with a shoulder or collar 9 serving as a stop for the coupling element belonging to the tractor vehicle.

The coupling member from the tractor or towing vehicle is composed of a vertical socket fixed to the chassis or frame of the tractor vehicle by means of lugs z', in which socket is thus turnably arranged a fork This fork embraces a ring 70 which can is such that the tube of the draw-bar can pass easily therethrough without undue friction.

The coupling of the vehicles is effected in the following manner; the cotter (Z being in the horizontal position (Fig. 5), the tube a is passed through the ring 70 until the shoulder g abuts against the ring 70, as shown in Fig. 9. The cotter is then drawn out from the tube a, set up in the vertical position and pressed vertically down to the end of the slide 6 (Fig. 9).

The coupling of the vehicles is thus insured without danger of disconnection otherwise than by a reversal of the procedure. For further security, a link or shackle m may be passed through the slide a, said link being connected by a chain a to one of the two vehicles. In order to avoid any play, the shoulder 9 should be arranged upon the tube in such a way that the cotter (Z presses lightly upon the ring 70. If de sired, I may impart to one of the faces of the cotter d a very slight taper to provide a wedging action. I

So as to avoid'the use of a chain to keep the cotter (Z in place, this maybe held in place in either the closing position (Fig. 1) or the non-working position (Fig. 5) by a coil spring 0 oil? which one end is fixed to the cotter cl and the other to the pin f.

it is obvious that the present invention is not limited to the details above described by way of example; thus, for instance, this coupling-attachment may be used with any device allowing of the relative displacements of both coupling elements one to the other, as for instance, the cushioning device described in my U. S. patent application Serial No. 346,605, filed December 22, 1919.

Having now particularly described and ascertainedthe nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claimis 1. A coupling arrangement for two vehicles, comprising a tractor vehicle and a trailer vehicle, said arrangement comprising an annular member, mounted on one of the said vehicles, and within which engages the extremity of the draw-bar carried by the other vehicle, a shoulder and a tilting cotter provided on said extremity of the draw-bar.

and holding the said ring in place, and radial slots provided in saidextremity of the draw-bar and within which the tilting cotter can move. 7

3. A coupling arrangement for two vehicles, comprising a tractor vehicle and a trailer vehicle, said arrangement comprising a ring mounted between the arms of a fork trunnioned in a socket fixed to one of the vehicles, the extremity of the draw-bar carried by the other vehicle, engaging within said ring, a shoulder and atilting cotter provided on said extremity of the draw-bar and holding the said ring in place, said cotter being furnished with a slot forming a slide inseparably engaging a. pin upon which it can move, to assume a position parallel or perpendicular to the axis of the said draw-bar, within radial slots formed in the extremity of the draw-bar.

In testimony whereof i have signed my ame to this specification.

CHARLES LOUIS BAUDRY DE SAUNIER. Witnesses V JACQUES ARMENGAUD, PIERRE ARMENGAUD. 

